mosuo

The Mosuo tribe are a small (40,000) matriarchial tribe that live in the surrounding regions of the Lugu Hu in the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan – southwestern China. A striking feature of the Mosuo tradition is known as, ‘Zuo Hun’ or ‘walking marriages’, best described as the women being able to take lovers from male members of the tribe once they have been initiated at the age of 13. They may have as many or as few men as they like over a lifetime. Male companions known as ‘axias’ do jobs in the villages such as fishing and animal rearing and visit the womens’ bedrooms at night – often in secret. All kids are raised by the families of the women – there is no stigma attached to not knowing who the father is and all men that father children are referred to a ‘uncles’.